


Two Months

by TalesOfOnyxBats



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Azula Uses Dark Humor To Cope, Dark Humor, Fire Siblings Week 2020, Gen, Hostage Situations, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Psychological Trauma, Ransom, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:48:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27176113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TalesOfOnyxBats/pseuds/TalesOfOnyxBats
Summary: Fire Sibling Week Day 6, Modern AU: Azula reunites with Zuko after having been held ransom for months.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 40





	Two Months

**Author's Note:**

> Warning for mentioned violence but the details aren't described. Lots of dark humor.

Zuko has learned to dread the sound of the phone ringing and the chime of the doorbell. He has learned to keep well away from the mailbox. When he answers the phone it is always the same gruff and raspy voice making the same demands; a portion the family estate or they'd be sent another gift. Sometimes they ring the doorbell and drop it off, most of the time it is in the mailbox alongside another ransom note.

But he still picks up the phone because one time, just one sublime time, he heard her voice. It was as smooth and soft as ever, with only the most subtle tremble to portray her fear despite her insisting that she wasn't afraid at all and that they shouldn't give into the demands. The sound of flesh on flesh and a small wince was the last he heard from Azula.

He stares at the phone, it hasn't rung in days and he thinks that maybe they have killed her. They have put her through so much already that he isn't sure how she can survive.

He remembers the first time that the phone rang with instructions to check the mailbox. He should have waited for father. For the police. For anyone really. But no, he'd went and opened it.

It was a small package, the size of a jewelry box.

He opened that too and his thumb came away tinged in blood. He remembers the box clattering to the floor and a finger falling out. Just the tip, it was only the tip. The note said as much, warned him that it would be the rest of her finger next time and then full fingers for every delivery after.

"Just fucking pay!" Is a nightly argument. His father is too selfish, too prideful to give in.

"And then what? People like them will know that they can get away with it? It'll open the door to more of this. They'll come for you too, boy!"

"Then let them have me!" He always shouts. That is how the argument always ends, with a shout for them to take him instead. He has failed as the older brother. Dimly he knows that his father has failed doubly.

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Two of them. He counted has counted eight fingers so far, one for each week that has gone by. She hasn't many fingers left and they are due for another delivery.

Zuko wonders what they are going to take next, her toes, her ears...what do they usually take in the movies? He feels sick to his stomach.

He knows that the package will be delivered tomorrow.

He is already prepared for the weekly fight.

He balls his fists and grits his teeth.

His stomach plummets when the door rings. It is too early. He isn't ready. It rings a second time and then a third as he cautiously moves to answer it. And then comes the knocking. He feels sick. Sick until he realizes that the men outside are uniformed.

He opens the door. Long Feng and his team of officers have become familiar faces these days. "I have good news for you."

"Good news?"

"Is your father home?"

Zuko shakes his head. "Conference."

"Well then I suppose that we can give you a ride."

"A ride? To where?"

"The hospital."

"Th-the hospital?"

Long Feng nods. "She's doing well, all things considered."

His heart flutters. "Y-you found her?"

"She found us, actually." One of the agents declares. "Impressive, really. She was wandering down a back road, bare feet and bloody. She had this look in her eyes. Kind of terrifying to be honest."

"I didn't think she'd let us take her with us." Another gestures to the police car.

Zuko chuckles. "That sounds like her."

**.oOo.**

But she doesn't quite look like her. Any fierceness that they had seen on her has given way to fragility. Azula looks small and sad, almost terrified. Zuko doesn't like it. Her hands are neatly bandaged and she has been bathed. An empty food tray sits on the bedside table.

"Hey." He greets with a small smile.

She rolls over, "hello, Zuzu." He thinks that she had tried to smile, but she can't seem to manage. She looks so tired and he can't blame her.

He hugs her as tightly as he can. "I didn't know if I'd see you again."

"You've been seeing me this whole time. Just not all of me."

He nudges her, "that's not funny!"

She shrugs meekly. "It kind of is."

He sighs.

"Did you save them?"

"What?"

"My fingers. Did you keep them."

"They wouldn't have been able to reattach them…"

"In other words, you didn't."

"No we didn't keep your fingers! Where would we have put them? In the fridge?"

"Yes." This time she does manage to smile. "Next to the popsicles."

"Azula, that's disgusting and disturbing."

"You know what else is disgusting and disturbing?"

He exhales, "let me guess. Me?"

Azula laughs, "I was going to say, 'your mom', but yes, you too."

"We have the same…" He rubs his hand over his face. "I'm glad that you aren't traumatized."

"Oh. I am, they already talked to me about therapy choices." Azula shrugs. "But for now I'm stuck with you."

"Isn't that good enough?" He asks.

"Now I know that this is going to be hard for you to wrap your head around, but yes, that is good enough for now."

"I'm just glad that you're back." He replies. "In one piece or not."

"How was it being the favorite for once?"

"It was awful, actually." He replies. "I can't wait for you to come home." He can see it in her eyes that she is plenty eager. But she doesn't seem to mind the hospital bed, of course not, he can't imagine that her sleeping conditions were favorable in captivity.

"How did you get free?"

"That's a long story, Zuzu. But lets just say I picked a weak link and made him feel bad for me, he let me out... Don't get me wrong, he still died, but it was a nice gesture."

"Y-you killed someone?"

"They were going to kill me!"

"I didn't mean to sound accusa…"

"You don't know what it was like." She adds quietly and holds up her ruined hands. "I shouldn't let them keep doing it."

He swallows and begins rubbing circles on her back. "I know, Azula. I understand." She always did do what needed to be done. "I think that everyone will understand."

Azula nods, he swears that he sees her wipe a few tears away.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I will be Zuzu. As long as you let me keep making jokes about finger popsicles, I'll be fine."

"Okay, you can keep making really dark and offensive jokes."

"I wasn't asking for permission, I was warning you that it is going to happen."

He nudges her, "sure, Azula." He watches her nuzzle her face against her pillow.

"Anyways, I'm tired, Zuzu. Be here when I wake up or I'll sacrifice one of my remaining fingers to put in your soup tonight."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"Good because I need someone to keep me entertained here."

He can hear the shaking in her voice and he knows that she wants protection. He doesn't call her on it. "I guess that it's a good thing I brought my deck of uno cards."

"I hate uno." She grumbles as she pulls the blankets over her shoulders and rolls onto her other side.


End file.
